Thousands of Taxi Drivers Clog the Streets of Santiago to Protest Uber in Chile

About 3,000 taxi drivers demonstrated in the main avenues of Chile’s capital of Santiago. (Wikipedia)

EspañolTaxi drivers in Chile gathered in the streets this Monday, July 10 to protest the “unfair competition” that Uber and other ride sharing services present in Santiago.

The 3,000 drivers, who drove through the heart of the capital blocking traffic and disrupting public transportation routes, claim that there should be a law regulating ride-sharing service activities in the country.

Taxi drivers have accused officials of inaction when it comes to the Uber-Taxi controversy, which has arisen across most of the Americas with various intensity. In Chile, taxi drivers claim there is “ridiculous, non-existent” oversight of the applications.

“The applications wipe out taxis at night and during the day,” said Nicolás Sayes, one of the leaders of the National Confederation of Taxis. “The issue has been drawn out and now it’s an extreme situation. Many people are losing their vehicles.”

Adriana Peralta is a freedom advocate from El Salvador and a @CREO_org board member. She is a PanAm Post reporter and blogger, a 2005 Ruta Quetzal scholar, a trained engineer, and an SMC University masters student in political economy. She is also a Pink Floyd fan. Follow @AdriPeraltaM.